TITLE: Baby Makes Three
AUTHOR: Finey_McFine
RATING: PG13
DISCLAIMER: Willow, Tara and any other BtVS characters, as well as some random dialog, belong to Mutant Enemy. ALL other original characters belong to me! Mention of any ‘real’ people in this fic is brief and pure fantasy.
SUMMARY: Totally AU! Willow Rosenberg is a senior at Sunnydale High. She and her friends are bullied relentlessly until Willow stumbles upon a huge secret and decides to take matters into her own hands. There is no Hellmouth, just lot’s of teen angst, self discovery and of course Willow/Tara goodness...eventually.
Thoughts are in italics FEEDBACK: Yes! Any glaring issues…please send me a PM!
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hey everyone and Happy Sunday! This chapter is unchecked for errors...typos, spelling, grammar, etc. PM me if you see something that needs a fixin.’ Sorry about that, but we’re all sick around here with some sort of cold/sore throat virus and well, you know how it goes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. See ya next week:)******************************************************************
Chapter 8
In the weeks that followed, Willow and the entire gang couldn’t have been happier. The jocks were leaving Xander alone, under threat of death from their coaches and he’d managed achieved a low level of popularity with his pirate-like eye patch. In fact, his doctors had given him the okay to remove it, but he continued to wear it to school anyway.
Willow’s life at school had also improved as the Cordettes hardly acknowledged her existence anymore. All except for Tara who, when no one was looking, would catch Willow’s eye in the halls and smile or throw the redhead a little wave.
Things had definitely changed between Willow and Tara and there was a sort of tactic understanding between the girls. Not only did they share a secret, but they’d shared an experience together that changed them both. They didn’t know it at the time, but that afternoon together was a turning point. Willow had seen a more sensitive, human side of the blonde and Tara saw how responsible and sweet Willow could be. Each girl came away from the experience with a newfound respect for the other.
The girls weren’t exactly friends and they weren’t exactly enemies anymore either. They were somewhere in between, more like
frienemies. They each had their own lives, their own set of friends, but occasionally they’re very different lives would converge. So far, those convergences had resulted in something friendly of something combative.
It was these peculiar interactions that led Willow to err on the side of their
non-friendship, which is why she was shocked when Tara showed up unexpectedly during one of her shifts at the Doublemeat.
“Hey Red!” Marcie called out towards the back of the kitchen, “You have a visitor.”
A bewildered look crept across Willow’s face as she walked up next to the shift manager, “Who is it?” She asked curiously.
Marcie shrugged her shoulders, “Dunno, but the only way you’ll find out is if you go up there and see,” She said as she gently pushed Willow in the direction of the lobby.
Tara paced nervously in the lobby with Chelsea on her hip, and a diaper bag slung over her other shoulder; still contemplating a run in the opposite direction. She wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing, but she had to try.
“Tara? Hey...” Willow said as she rounded the front counter.
“Willow! Hi!” Tara said with nervous enthusiasm.
The redhead smiled and reached for the baby’s hand, “Hi Chelsea, hey cutie...how are you?”
The mini blonde responded immediately; smiling and reaching for Willow.
Willow’s eyes met Tara’s, silently asking for permission to hold the squirmy infant. Tara nodded and handed her to Willow.
The redhead scrunched her face and began sniffing around the little girl’s head. “Tara, what’s that smell? It’s kind of a cross between bacon fat and...cat pee?”
Tara’s eyes fell, landing on her feet and she nodded embarrassingly. “Um, I t-think so, but I really don’t know.”
Willow’s brow knitted in concern as she contemplated Tara’s answer.
What the heck is she doing here and why does Chelsea smell like this?!“Tara, let me clock out, it’s my break time anyway. You um...you want some fries and a soda or something?” Tara nodded and Willow handed Chelsea back. “Can you grab us a table in the back? It’s a little quieter back there and we can talk.”
“Okay,” Tara responded.
Willow retreated behind the counter, clocking out, getting the promised food and picking up a hand full of wet-naps in the process, before meeting Tara at the table. Her mind was swimming with questions.
Tara was bouncing Chelsea on her knee when Willow returned, carrying the bright orange striped tray loaded with the promised soda and a large order of fries. Willow sat the tray on the table and reached for Chelsea. “You go ahead and eat, I’ll hold her.”
“Thanks,” Tara said without meeting Willow’s eyes.
Willow immediately began to balance the baby and simultaneously open wet-naps, before obsessively wiping them through the golden blonde locks. “So, what’s going on? Why is she...you know?” Willow asked with concern.
Tara took in a deep breath and exhaled, “I...I don’t even know where to begin.”
“Well, the beginning is always good,” Willow grinned, trying to lighten the atmosphere and eliciting a small smile from the cheerleader.
“Okay, a few w-weeks ago, Chelsea got kicked out of daycare. I was um, late picking her up for about the hundredth time and well, we got booted.” Of course none of this was new information and Willow had to fight to keep her face neutral as Tara continued. “I was in a program for teen-moms and part of the costs were being subsidized. I lost my eligibility when I lost the daycare, so I had to find someone to watch her. We can’t afford much so, I guess this is what I get.” She said, motioning towards her daughter. “I-It wasn’t too bad the first month, but now...today was definitely the worst.”
Willow felt bad, Tara was clearly shaken. “You’re Mom can’t help out?”
“Oh, she was...is, but her work schedule changed. See she was working an eight to five weekday shift and it was perfect, I would drop her off and Mom would pick her up, but her schedule changed and now she’s working a swing shift Wednesday thru Sunday one-thirty to ten-thirty. She um, she keeps Chels home on her days off and takes her to this lady on her way to work, then-”
“You pick her up after practice.” Willow interrupted.
“Yeah, and it seemed like a perfect situation because this lady didn’t care if I’m a little late or not. I mean Chelsea’s only there three days a week for four or five hours a day but...”
Willow understood perfectly, “You’re worried.”
Tara nodded, “Willow, she smells like cat pee!”
“There’s no one else?” Willow questioned as she too munched on a few fries.
Tara looked up at Willow as she chewed on her bottom lip, “Well, that’s kinda why I’m here.” She said as she looked pleadingly into Willow’s deep green eyes. “I um, w-wanted to know if y-you were interested in babysitting for me?”
“Me?” Willow squeaked, “But I already have a job.”
“You volunteered, remember?”
“Oh, yeah...” Willow recalled, pursing her lips tightly.
“I know it’s a long shot but, you’re so good with her and I...I...” Tara squirmed in her seat, “I trust you.” Tara said honestly as she locked eyes with Willow. “You um, you said a few weeks ago if I ever needed anyone and you have early release, right?” Willow nodded. “It would only be three days a week until I get home from practice and Friday nights when I have games. I-I could pay you, not very much, but I could and it would be three less days that you would um, have to wear that uniform,” Tara said jokingly as she glanced up and smiled apprehensively at Willow.
Willow’s mind was churning. Why should she go out of her way to help Tara anymore than she already had? The girl had been mean to her and now here she was asking for a huge favor. A favor that Willow wasn’t even sure she could fulfill and keep her job at the Doublemeat.
“How much?” Willow asked.
“A hundred dollars, that’s what we’re paying now,” Tara sighed. She knew Willow wasn’t making a lot at the Doublemeat, but even so, it was more than she could offer.
“I don’t know Tara, that’s like five dollars an hour and I’m making over seven right now. It kinda puts a crimp in my long term plans and when I said I’d help out, I meant
in addition and not
to replace.”
“Oh.” Tara replied sadly, wondering why Willow needed a job so badly and what type of long term plans warranted her needing to desperately save money. After all, she was an only child of upper middle class parents and Tara figured she wanted for nothing. “Are you saving for college or something?” Tara asked reluctantly, trying not to come off sounding bitchy. It was none of her business and Willow owed her nothing, but Tara allowed her curiosity get the best of her anyway.
“Oh no, you see, the only reason I have this crummy job in the first place is because my parents won’t buy me a car. They said I had to get a job and whatever I was able to save, they’d match it. I’m so sick of walking everywhere and I
really don’t want to be stuck in Sunnydale this summer. I um, I have plans they sorta don’t know about yet.”
Tara nodded, it was obvious Willow didn’t want to share any more information and Tara didn’t push. “I understand but, will you at least think about it?” She plead.
Willow nodded, “I’ll have to do some calculations and talk to my boss. I don’t even know if they’d be willing to work around my schedule anymore than they do right now. This is a really big favor Tara.”
“I know,” Tara sniffled, about ready to burst into tears, “I’m s-sorry, I s-swore I wasn’t going to get emotional. It’s just, if anything ever h-happened to her because I...” Tara’s words trailed off as she struggled to get a grip on her emotions.
Willow eyed Tara curiously, she didn’t know the girl very well and her initial thought was that she was being played. That Tara had turned on the water works to guilt her, but there was something else, something genuine about how the blonde was coming across. Not to mention, Willow was quickly falling for Chelsea and shared Tara’s concern. Even so, Willow still had to think about her priorities and whether or not it was beneficial to her.
Tara nodded her head and smiled up at Willow; knowing they were all talked out on the subject, she decided to re-route the conversation. “Thanks for the fries and stuff. It’s probably my favorite thing on the menu here.”
Willow returned the smile and shifted Chelsea to her other knee, “Thanks for stopping by. I usually just sit out back and read on my break, so this was a welcome change.” She replied brightly.
“Well, maybe we can stop in more often,” Tara said shyly. There was just something about Willow’s ever cheery disposition that warmed Tara’s heart.
“That would be nice,” Willow said sincerely, meeting Tara’s eyes and smiling. She glanced at her watch and the smile faded. “I think my time’s up...gotta get back and feed the masses,” She said rolling her eyes.
Tara chuckled as she finished off the fries and cleaned up the table. “Sorry,” She said demurely, “I guess I was hungrier than I thought.”
“S’okay, I kinda have them at my disposal anytime I want. Hold on a sec, okay?” Willow exclaimed, handing Chelsea to Tara and darting back behind the counter. She returned a few minutes later with a bag and a fresh soda; placing them on the table in front of Tara. Willow shrugged her shoulders awkwardly, “For later, in case you get hungry again.”
“Thanks Will,” Tara said as she gather her things; trying to balance the baby, the diaper bag and her food without dropping anything.
Willow was shocked once again, when she heard her nickname drift out of Tara’s mouth, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She felt a warm tingly sensation flutter through her stomach and goose bumps form on her arms. She was taken aback by her reaction and had no idea what was going on.
We’re not even friends! She admonished inwardly. It wasn’t as if she was angry for the use of her nickname, it was more so along the lines of,
why. The only one who used different variations of her name was Xander.
Willow shook the thoughts from her head and filed them away for another time. The restaurant was getting busy and she needed to get back.
“I’ll see ya in school,” Tara called out as she made her way to the exit.
“Okay, see ya,” Willow said with a small wave and Tara was gone.